MILITARY WAYS OF THE EASTERN ROMAN EMPIRE PERIOD IN ANATOLIA

Abstract

In the Eastern Roman Empire, there was a comprehensive road system that served military and political purposes during wartime and commercial, religious or cultural purposes during times of peace. These roads were usually shaped in accordance with the terrain conditions that topographic conditions shape and the military strategic importance of the region. The roads were planned to allow the army to move quickly. The large roads that allowed the troops to move freely were covered with large, smooth stone blocks. A.D. Nova Rome (Constantinople / Istanbul), which was declared as the new capital by Emperor Constantine in 330 BC, has become a center of the main roads. After the demolition of the Western Roman Empire in 476 BC by the Kavimler Migration, the old roads to Rome lost importance and the way to or from Istanbul increased. In the 6th century the military road network was completed in the Justinianos period, the period when the empire was strongest. Road construction continued to evolve as new roads and interlinks were added to these roads. In this article, the military road network in the Eastern Roman Empire Period Anatolia was discussed with the main lines, and the formation, function and roots of the roads were emphasized. Keywords: Eastern Rome, Byzantine, Geography, Roads, Hittite University.